Some Little Ditties
by Bridgette Potter
Summary: I had to write some stories for my English class about Flowers for Algernon and decided to post them. I hope you like them!
1. The Rest of Charlie's Life

The Rest of Charlie's Life

The Rest of Charlie's Life

_Nov. 21--_This morning I woke up in a strange place. I dont remember coming hear though. It seems a nice place though. There are a bunch of pepul like me who arent to bright. The nice lady Miss Brigham though she tells us to call her Miss B says some real smart people who work in the college left me hear. That was probably Perfesser Nemur and Dr Strauss. I met this kid named Sam whos just 4 years yonger than me. Hes my frend. Miss B says the Prof. and Doctor will come see me tomarrow. Im looking forward to seeing them again.

_Nov. 22—_Prof. Nemur and Dr. Strauss saw me today. I was sitting in a room by myself when they came. Miss B had told me to sit there so I sat hear until she tells me to get up. I really had to go but I wanted to do what Miss B tells me to. So I sat there needing to go.

Then walked in the Prof. and Dr. They sat down and said hello Charlie. I said hello back at them. Then they started asking me all sorts of questions. Like how Im doing and what Im doing. I told them about my frend Sam and they rote something on a piece of paper.

When they asked me about how they were treating me I asked if Miss B could come in. They were confused but called her in. When she asked what was the matter I said I really had to go.

She then said, "Then how come you didn't say anything before Charlie?"

"You told me to sit hear and not to get up."

"You can go Charlie."

So I ran out and barely made it before I messed my pants. When I got back Nemur and Strauss was gone and Miss B said they had some important stuff to do back at the college. So she led me back to Sam and we listened to the radio for the rest of the day.

_Nov. 23—_I did something bad today I think. Me and Sam were talking when I blanked out and when I woke up I found out that I hit him. He started crying and Miss B came over. She talked to him and he calmed down. She took me back to my room and I had to sit there for a hour. When she came back she asked what had happened I told her that I had went blank for just a moment and when I woke up I had hit Sam. I asked if he was okay and that I never meant to hit him because hes my frend.

She looked worried a moment but said, " He's okay Charlie. Maybe you should lie down for a bit. It's nothing to worry about honey."

I did what she told me and layed down. As she left I looked at her and saw that she was pretty. She has a oval face with bobbed red hair and has frekels. Thinking of frekels made me think of something for a moment but it left me. Was it a memory? I don't know. I don't remember well.

_Nov. 24—_I cant see Sam anymore. Miss B says so. I had another blank spell but it was much longer than befour. One moment I was playing cards with Sam the next I was in a little room with cushions on the walls. I thought how strange it was with cushions on the walls. Was it a new game room? I got up and ran at the wall just to find myself bounced off. I landed on the ground on my butt. I heard a voice say, "He's acting up again." I looked around but couldn't see anyone, but I did see a little camera on the ceiling but there was no way a camera could talk.

Then a person came into the room in a white shirt and pants. I said hi to him and he looked up at the camera as if it was going to talk to him. I tried to explain to him it couldn't talk but a voice said a bit angry, "Never mind." So the person left without saying goodbye. Some pepul are just rude.

Later Miss B came in and led me out. She took me outside and I found I wasn't in my regular Cottage B. I wondered how I got hear and asked her how I got hear but she just shook her head and said never mind about it Charlie. Then we went to the left instead of the right and pointed out her mistake. She shook her head again and said I was going to be living in a new Cottage.

"Is Sam going to be there two? Hes my frend you know."

"No, he isn't honey. He's going to stay in Cottage B. You're going to a Cottage for special mentally challenged people."

"Are they smart? I used to be smart you know."

She shook her head and I could see her crying. "It's okay Miss B I can visit you. Ill makes sure I visit you as much as I can." She tried to smile and led me into my new home.

_Nov. 26_—I dont like my new cottage. Everyone screams and I cant sleep. But I think I scream sometimes two. I had a really long blank spell this time. And when I woke up my throat is horse like it is when I yell at the fireworks on the fourth. I have a new helper name Mr. Right who is all old and smells like cats. But he is very strong. Ive seen him pick up a desk so he could see Henry who is always hiding. I think I like Mr. Right hes a fun man though hes old and smells like cats.

_Nov. 28_—I saw Miss Kinnian today. I don't remember much except I saw her walking toward a door and she was crying. I saw I was crouching in a corner so I stood up and said, "Bye, Miss Kinnian," thinking she was leaving. When she turned around I smiled at her hoping it would make her happy but it went blank again.

I woke up and found I was in my room again. My throat was horse again. I looked out my window and saw that the sun was setting. I knew class started soon and wished I could go again but Mr. Right says maybe I can go in a few months. So I layed down and went to sleep a sleep full of screams and Miss Kinnian.


	2. Alice's Point of View

Alice's Point-of-View

Alice's Point-of-View

_Nov. 28—_I just heard that Charlie was sent to Warren a week ago. I'm not sure what I think about it. Of course I'm going to miss him, but he's back to what he had been or he's worse. No one will tell me. I had gone to the university to talk to Dr. Strauss and Professor Nemur when they told me what had happened. I asked about his condition but they just shook their heads and wouldn't say anything more about the subject.

What right do they have to keep me from him? I love him and told them as much but they told me it would be better if I didn't go see him. They probably think I couldn't take seeing him in his state.

I'm a strong woman. I have to with my job at the Beekmin College Center for Retarded Adults. It's so sad to try to teach all these grown adults what first and second graders already know. I have to use all my strength to keep from running out of that classroom crying sometimes.

I decided after talking to the Professor and Doctor that I'd go see Charlie before my class that night. I went back home to change into a professional suit I save for times where I feel I need all the professionalism that I can get. I then drove to Warren. Since most of my students live there I knew my way around.

I asked Mr. Winslow where Charlie Gordon was. He smiled and looked through their files for where he was housed. His face fell when he told me Charlie was in Cottage K. It took me a moment to realize what that meant.

"Surely you must be mistaken. Charlie can't be there. He's too calm and gentle," I said thinking he was confused.

"I'm sorry Miss Kinnian. Here, look for yourself."

He showed me the file and surely enough in the box labeled Cottage was the letter K.

"Can I see him?"

"I'm not sure Miss Kinnian. Visitors aren't usually allowed in that cottage."

"Well then bring him here. Please Winslow. I really need to see him. I _need_ to see how he's doing."

He looked uncertain but he said, "Okay, give me twenty minutes to fetch him."

I sat down on a straight-backed chair in the lobby and watched as Winslow left to go to Cottage K.

Those twenty minutes were the longest twenty minutes of my life. I kept turning every other minute to look at the clock behind me. The second hand was terribly slow. Finally Winslow came back and led me to a room near the back of the administrative building. He showed me to a door at the end of a hall and left me to mind the desk.

I took a deep breath, exhaled, turned the knob and went into the room where my Charlie sat. The man sitting in the chair (if that thing could be called a man) was sitting in a frightened posture with his eyes darting all over the place. His face was screwed into suspicion when he saw me in the doorway and I quickly closed the door thinking he might make a break for it.

"Hi, Charlie. It's me Alice. Remember me?"

I thought I saw a flash of recognition but his face stayed suspicious. I guess it must have been a trick of the light. The lighting was poor in this room so I guessed it wasn't used often.

"Mind if I take a seat Charlie?" He said nothing so I took the chair across from him. "How are you doing Charlie? You look well."

He said nothing and did nothing though his eyes were darting everywhere like a squirrel cornered by a fox. His eyes fixated on a corner behind me when he started to moan a low moan. It sounded like as if he was in agony about something. I looked behind me and when I saw nothing I got up and went to him hoping to comfort him in some way. He started when he saw me coming closer and he started to try to get away from me.

"It's okay Charlie. I'm not going to hurt you, I promise," I said hoping to be soothing but he just scrambled into a corner and went into the feral position. "Charlie it's me, Alice," I pleaded with him as tears started burning my eyes.

I stopped five feet from him and watched helplessly as he started rocking and moaning again. He could hear him moaning something and could barely hear it. It sounded like, 'misk in euin'.

"It's going to be okay Charlie. I'll leave now if you want." When he didn't say anything I started walking back to the door with tears finally loose on my cheeks.

As I got to the door I thought I heard him say something and when I turned I saw him standing up with the smile that I loved so much.

"Bye, Miss Kinnian," he said.

"Bye, Charlie. I love you," I said through my tears that were drying on my face. I smiled back at him but when I stepped back toward him his face fell and he shrunk back again.

I retracted my hand that I had held up in friendship but he had shied away from. I could feel the tears again as I quickly left the room without another word. I said goodbye to Winslow and if he noticed my tears he said nothing about it. I went back home to change for class and gathered my material for my lesson that night. I put on a smile and went through my class with little difficulty. When everyone had left and the janitor had been through his rounds I sat at my desk and cried.

I cried for Charlie and his condition. And I cried for my heart. Poor Charlie in his condition of an emotionally unstable retardate. Thank goodness he wasn't aware of what was going on any more than a fly. And it just hurt me to see him that way. No wonder the Doctor and Professor didn't want me to see him that way. He wasn't even the Charlie from before. I wish I hadn't let him or even told him about that operation opportunity.

I dried my eyes and looked down at my hands. Well I can't do anything about what had happened now. But I could try to help him. Maybe if I came around enough times and help him he'll start to remember our time together. I smiled hopefully, gathered my things, got up to leave and turned off the light.


	3. What Would Have Happened if

What Would Have Happened if Charlie's Mind Hadn't Deteriorated

What Would Have Happened if Charlie's Mind Hadn't Deteriorated

_June 9--_I've been wandering around the dark streets lately. I'm not sure why I'm doing this. Maybe I'm trying to look for some explanation of what I'm doing here in this state of intelligence that I wasn't given in the first place. Maybe God won't like this and will send me to hell. I don't know. People can seem so close yet so far away. Take Alice for example. We can be sitting in her apartment and wanting to be intimate but little Charlie won't let us. And that is as close as we can get. We certainly don't match up in intelligence anymore. I feel so lonely.

_June 10--_Tonight I met some people who asked if I was interested in an intellectual debate. I was a bit surprised about them asking but then I was reading the Psychological Journal and they must have thought I would be interested in something in the like. I was just sitting at a table in a little café I had discovered on one of my nighttime wanderings when this man and woman came and sat down at my booth. I said possibly and they went on to tell me about this debate team they were on and how they were looking for new members.

I asked when the next meeting was and the man, Ray, said, "In one week. Do you now the Peter Gregor School? No? It's just down the road on the right from Beekman College. You can't miss it." Ray is a tall man with a well-kept brown beard and hair. He wore a nice suit of dark gray cloth and didn't wear a tie but left the top button of his shirt unbuttoned. He was a likable person and was interested in what I was reading.

"It's a school for the children with the right smarts or have the wealthiest parents," joked Anna. Where Ray was tall she is diminutive in size. She had bright red hair that frizzed out in curls and seemed like it took a hassle to manage it, but she had it back in a low ponytail. She wore a black blouse with a dark red leather vest and then wore a pair of loose trousers with red stitching that just screamed boldness and artistic flair. She smiled often and added to what Ray said with a twinkling laugh.

I said I would go and they left me to talk to some woman they obviously knew who was waiting near the door reading a newspaper. They were evidently talking about me because Anna waved at me then she and Ray left but the woman reading the newspaper stayed to finish her coffee. I thought was a bit odd that those nice friendly people had come over randomly to ask me to talk about debating. I shrugged to myself, finished my coffee, and left.

_June 18—_I went to the debate yesterday night. It was quite fun talking with people who seemed interested in my insight unlike the Professor and Doctor. After some refreshments and cookies someone had brought in we were presented a topic by this old man in a white suit who quickly left the room before we could start. Then Ray stepped up to the stage and went through the procedures of the debate. Our topic was quite personal to me though I didn't tell anyone so. Our topic was 'Should mentally retarded people have operations that could possibly change their intelligence level?'

When it came time to get on our sides I was wondering what I should do. Someone with my background would have gone on to the side for it but I was doubting now with ever going through with the operation. I was feeling lonely because of it. Before it I had at least people I had thought were friends now I had no one. Everyone I talked to was either uninterested or couldn't keep up with what I was saying.

As I stood thinking this everyone had went onto their sides until I was alone standing between the sides. I realized everyone was watching me until I saw Anna waving me over to her. She was on the side for it. I smiled and joined her. We started to figure out our argument and decided to have Anna as our spokesperson. They encouraged me to be the spokesperson because I was new to this but I declined and just gave them examples for favoring it.

When the debate began I noticed Ray was with the other side and I waved to him and he waved back. It was quite a heated argument. Each side came up with some good examples but I started when someone spoke about the experiment that Beekman was doing. I didn't know other people had known about that experiment. Eventually it came time to go and everyone congratulated each other for the debate. It was actually fun and they invited me again for the next debate which was later that week. I said I would go and they all smiled at me happily.

I walked home thinking about this group that I had stumbled upon. But wait they had actually found me. I hadn't found them. It wasn't like I had seen an advertisement for the debate team but they had seen me and decided to invite me. Oh, well. I like this group and plan to go more of the debates.

_June 20—_I went to my second debate meeting tonight_._ I had a lot more fun tonight. Maybe it's because we didn't have a subject so personal to me so I wasn't so nervous. Well anyway our topic was 'Did we treat immigrants fairly when they came here looking for refuge?' I went onto the side that said we didn't treat them well with Anna and Ray and a few other people I had met last time.

When the man in the white suit went off the stage again and hurried out the room I asked Anna who he was and she said he was Peter Gregor who had built this school and founded this debate team. He was a nice person she said and said that I would meet him later.

It was another good debate and everyone did well. I think next time I'll be up there laying down the arguments. It looks like fun though I get a bit nervous talking in front of groups though that's normal for everyone. I think I might like this better than going to the Lab and talking with Professor Nemur and Doctor Strauss.

_June 23—_Anna came to my house today with the guy she said was Peter Gregor. She must have looked my name up in the phone book or something because I don't remember giving her my address. Well my landlady was quite suspicious when Anna appeared at the doorstep until I told her I knew Anna then Anna brought Mr. Gregor in.

My landlady said we could use her parlor to talk so we filed in and she got us some tea before she left to go shopping. Mr. Gregor isn't as old as he had first appeared to me. He has dark hair that he slicks back and has a cleanly shaven face. His face looks kind and he was wearing his white suit again. I was wondering if he wore any other color than white when he spoke.

"So you're our new recruit? Charlie is it? Nice to meet you." He held out a hand and I shook it. It was a good firm grip. "I would like to officially welcome you to our little group. As you've seen we're all about intelligent debates compared to other debate teams. We're so happy to have such a smart new man at our debates. Little Anna has told me about your contributions to the arguments. I'm sorry I haven't met you before but we have other matters that press my time. I hope we can see more of you at our debates."

I smiled and said, "I plan on becoming a member of your group if it's all right with you sir. I've been having fun at your team and hope to keep coming."

I say his eyes twinkle in what seemed triumph and he exclaimed, "Good! Good to hear! I'll be waiting to see how well you do at our next meeting. I'll stay the whole time so I can see how well you do." He stood up with Anna and they said goodbye before leaving. I saw them to the door and Anna kissed me on the cheek as she left with a dazzling smile on her lips.

_Oct. 15—_I just remembered about these progress reports. I haven't been writing these for months. It doesn't matter any way. I'm not going to the Lab any more and I've moved out of my room and said goodbye to my landlady because the Prof. And Dr. have been bothering me. Even Alice has been bothering me and they've been trying to make me leave my new family.

They just don't get it. I've been having a good time in the Team House where most of the debate team lives along with the other teams and groups Peter Gregor founded.

Anna and me have been staying in the same room and we're planning on asking Leader Gregor if he could permit us to be married. She's such a wonderful person and she's been helping me in so many ways. She's shown me such wonderful things and I feel like we're One like soul mates.

I've taken to wearing tunics now and other light clothing. I've even gotten most of my hair shaved. I feel so free now, like I don't have to worry about my path in life anymore because Leader Gregor decides it all for me.

I also now have the team tattoo on my hand. We had this big ceremony and now I have a black owl on the back of my hand that is the team mascot. I'm really happy with my new family now, though all my old friends said I was in a cult. I'm smart enough to know if I'm in a cult or not.


End file.
